Trough belt



F. ROBBINS Dec. 2, 1941.

,TROUGH BELT Filed July 26, 1939 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, 1941 f UNITED STAT TROUGH BELT.

l S PAT l Frederick Robbins, Cambridge,.Md., assigner to The Cambridge Wire Cloth Company, Cambridge, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application July 26, 1939, Serial No. 286,674

4 Claims.

My invention relates to conveyors, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved trough conveyor.

In conveyor belts employed for heat treating purposes, it is common practice to employ a metallic belt of the mesh type for handling the materials and articles to be heat treated. Usually, such belts comprise interlaced wires to facilitate passage of heated air therethrough. Such belts are invariably of the endless type and should iiex easily about the supporting drums. In some installations, it is necessary to employ a belt capable of making a reverse bend, and the handling of some materials requires that the belt be of the trough type.

An object of my invention is to lprovide a trough belt designed to bend about the usual supporting drums, wherein the trough belt is characterized by two continuous, upright walls extending along the sides of the belt, and in which the walls are so designed as to permit twodirectional bending of the belt without interference from the trough walls.

More specifically, the walls comprise upright plates with the plates arranged partly in overlapping relation to provide the continuous walls. The plates in each Wall are pivotally connected together for relative pivotal movement aboutv horizontal axes transversely of the belt, and the pivotal connections comprise wires or rods threaded through some of the interlaced wires of the belt so that each plate in one wall pivots about the same axis as the corresponding plate in the other wall. The rods pivotally connect the plates at their lower, overlapping margins.

Brace members extend transversely of the belt and interconnect certain of the plates in one wall with the corresponding plates in the other wall, so that the overlapping relation between the plates, in combination with the transverse braces, provides a construction in which the two upright walls are effectively restrained from relative lateral deflection. The plates are overlapped in such manner that the transverse braces, even though spaced considerable distances longitudinally of the belt, eiectively resist lateral deflection of the individual plates as well as the two walls. While the plates are arranged partly in overlapping relation, the plates and their axes are so arranged as to facilitate bending of the belt in both directions, with the plates overlapping in all phases of the belt.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a trough belt in accordance with my invention;

(Cl. 198,-201)r Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and g Figure 3 is a perspective view of two plates from each wall separated for the sake of clearness and illustrating a diiferent form of brace.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, the belt l2 comprises a plurality of helical wiresV |'4 interlaced into web formation, with the convolutions iiattened slightly to take the coniiguration of ovals when viewed from the end, as illustrated in Figure 2,. The ends of the wires are looped together, as at I6 in Figure 1. Belt l2 is provided with upright side walls I8 along its edges, which side walls each comprises a plurality of metallic plates of the type illustrated at 2i), 22 and 24. These plates are arrangedpartly in overlapping relation, as illustrated at 26, and the plates in the two walls are identical in construction and arrangement. Plate 28 partly overlaps the inner face of the plate 22, and plate 22 partly overlaps the inner face of the plate 24. This order of overlapping continues throughout the entire length of the wall.

Wires or rods 28 are threaded through certain of the helical wires I4 and are arranged to pivotally connect the plates in each wall I 8. The wires 28 pass through aligned openings 30 in the inside overlapping margins of the plates, centrally of and at the lower ends of the margins, with the lower ends of the plates lying in a plane common to the bottom plane of the belt I2. Thus, one rod 28 pivotally connects two plates in each wall, and the two pivotally connected plates in each'wall pivot about an axis corresponding to the axis about which the two corresponding plates in the other wall pivot. Thus, the hinge rods 28 will parallel the axis of the drum about which the belt is flexed so as to eliminate binding, and the overlapping arrangement of the plates provides two continuous walls in which the plate elements thereof pivot relatively to one another as the belt is passing around the drum. Each wall I8 bends easily in either direction because of the overlapping relation between the plates, and the plates are overlapped in such a degree as to maintain some overlapping relation even While the belt is flexing about the drum. Such overlapping relation between the plates provides guiding relation between the overlapped plates when passing from the curved phase to the straight phase so as to eliminate locked edges between the plates.

The ends of the rods 28 are welded at 32 to 5.3 the outer face of their respective outer overlapping margins. Thus, the plates 20 of Figures 1 and 2 are loosely related to the associated bar 28, with the plates 22 welded to that bar. The plates 2U lie adjacent the side edges of the belt I2 and are therefore restrained from relative movement longitudinally of the bar. At the same time, the plates 20 are restrained from out- Ward movementbecause yof their. overlapping. re. lation with the plates 22. This f holds trueV throughout the full length of both Walls I8. Ac-

cordingly, the ends of the plates 22 overlapping-L outside the plates 28 are Welded to the bar 281 While the opposite ends of the plates 22 which; lie inside the plates 24 are loosely related to the. second bar 28 in the mannerpreviouslydescribed .15

in connection with the plates 2U.

Openings 39 in the inside overlapping margins of the plates are fashioned of elliptical contour with their longitudinal axes paralleling the-lone gitudinal axis of the belt. Thus, the plates are so-related as toprovide continuousyvaHs' butaare capable of shifting relatively to one'ranotherfso` as-to 'permit 'the-.driverolltoytake up theuslack inthe-belt.Y Wallsof yxed: length alongrthe. line; of their Vpivotal connections cause-a substantial variation. in the.- amount. `of frictionr`between the drive-roll and the belt during :itsoperationcunless-,thebelt is-made-soas-.to'remain ofthe same length as the-Wallsfat` theirapivotalzline.-

At suitable intervals ylongitudinally;offthef belt l2 I.providetransverse-bracing; One-.such bra-ce` is illustrated: at. 3ftl in; Figures-1 andwZ; In the brace structure of `liguresl and-2,. the -bracejcorrr-l prises a lower horizontal rod-3&5havingxfa-right-` angulainreach. 38 Vat eachend'which lies-adjacent. the in-ner .faces of .theI platesf-22 and arenweldedr theretd Thelbrace also includes-a second horiezontal: wire-lit which hasits V'ends :Welded` to' :the

upper'- ends-of` the-reaches 38;? as at 42. Anweb: 44 of wire mesh has itsaupperconvoluted Lcoil- 46" laced over. thehorizontal rodlill; andthe-lowerv coilfd-islaced'over theVloWer rod Bti-and throughthezcoil` lll-therebeneath, see VFigure-2.' VerticalI reinforcing rods 50 have their ends Welded to the-- rods V35` and 40, which `vertical rodsmaygbe threaded 1 through the convoluted Wire' #coils-10f-v therweb lil.v

It will thus Abeseen.v that ther-:plates 22 are ef-i fectively-braced againstlateral deflection by rea-fsonof the brace.34,and..-thatfall -therplatestbetweenffthe` spacedbr-aces Willbev-equally bracedy because ofthe transverse braces.1 Thus, I .provide Walls which are ,continuousfandwhich lend a high degree of .exibility to thebelt VI2 because-- of l the. short plates which.` make f up the walls.-I Accordingly, the plates are characterizedbyfrelative movement with their. axes closely :spacedso as to permit` the: belt. I2. to bendl..easily;=and sharply.- aboutpulleys regardless of their diam.- eters, and the.' plates pivot relatively; to` ear-:hl other in eitherdirection .so as :to provide ,;aconveyor belt Whichbends equally. well `ineither directionv from-.its straight phase: Thebraces-.34 performan additional function. inthat they-operate `inthe' mannerzof cleats-for-goods-'and articles carried;A

on the belt.. The spacing'betweenthef braces-orcleatsf will depend upon: the: requirements. for which a. giveninstallation is designed.

While Figures l and-12 illustrate-.thebrace 34' as being providedwith a weblhL-thebrace may bey in' the nature of .one'orfmore :transverse bars devoid of the web. Figurei illustratesstwo plates. 52 corresponding to theV plates 22, wherein two rodsEll have their ends welded to theinner faces ofthe plates 52 in lieu of the brace structure illustrated in Figures l and 2. Plates 56 correspond to the plates 20 and each is provided with an elliptical opening 58 through which the rod 60 associated with the plates 52 is inserted, with the ends of the rod 60 subsequently welded at 62 to the outer faces of the plates 52.

Having thus described certain embodiments of my inventionindetail, it is,.of vcourse,.,under stood that I do not desire to` limit' the scope thereof to the exact details set forth except in so far as those details may be denecl in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A trough conveyor comprising a bottom of interlaced helical Wires, walls extending along thesides of-saidbottom, each Wall comprising plates arranged in overlapping relationship one withithe other, each plate in each wall having an inner.. overlapping margin provided with an elongated opening having its major axis paralleling the-straight phase-:ofthe bottom. said heli'- cal: .Wires extending at right-.angles rto;.said wallsand transversely of said-bottom, rods-extending. loosely-through certainof said. helical Wires-rand llooselythrough. said'. elongated openingsfand-v connections betweenthe ends of` said iwires: andi the-` outer overlapping ,margins fofthe plates i in'. the respective walls.

2.'. .A trough conveyorl comprising qa.' bottomofinterlacedA helicalwires, Walls. extending; along the sidescf said.botto1n,. each-iWal-l comprising;

plates arrangedin Aoverlapping relationship onewith the other, each plate iny each-wall havinganinner foverla-pping margin provided Withan': elongated opening having its major axis fparalleling; the straight phase of the` bottom, said.' helical wires extending at right angles :tosaid .-walls and transversely of saidbottcm-rocls extending loosely through-.certain of` saidhelical'wires and loosely through saidelongated openings'fand connections between' the-ends of -saidwires fand the outer overlapping margins of the plates in..the;respec, tive Walls, all the platesin each `Wall .overlapping inthe same order and sliding freelyrelativelyto one another,- When said .bottom of-the .conveyor is bent in either direction-from its straight phase-.- 3.-.A troughfconveyor comprising avbottorn off interlacedhelical -Wires,.wallsextending alongthesides of .said bottomfeach Wallcomprisinggplates arranged in. overlapping;relationship: -one -Withr the other.' each plate` in each wallhavinglaninner overlapping marginA provided with an elongated. openingf having .its major `axis -paralleling=.

the straight phase of thef bottom,v said-z helical.

wires extending-.at rightianglestovsaidwalls andv transversely of said bottom,` rods extending -loosely; through certain of said helicaLWires and-loose.-

ly-through said. elongated openings, connections between .the endsy of .said Wires. and, the-outer, overlapping margins zoithe=plates ini-thel respective walls, ,and brace .cleats-extending, transversely of said .bottom- :and interconnecting` some7 oi?y the plates .in-` eachv wall with the-.corresponding plates'. in the-other wall.

4. A.trough conveyoncomprising aabottomoff.

interlaced helicalwires; walls. extendingsalongf, the sides Of-Said'bottom, each Wall comprisingplates-.arranged in; overlapping relationship: one

With-the other; each plate-in each Wall having an inner'overlappingfmargin provided withv an.Y

elongated opening ,having its major` axis parait-2 leling the straight phasev of` tlle-'zbottorrnV said-` helical wires extending at right angles-:to'sa'rd walls and transversely of .said-:.bottom, .rods-ex;

tending loosely-through ,certainu of said. helical wires and loosely through said elongated openings, connections between the ends of said Wires and the outer overlapping margins of the plates in the respective walls, all the plates in each Wall overlapping in the same order and sliding freely relatively to one another when said bot- 

